Writing in a personal capacity to share views, information and resources for teachers, trade unionists and campaigners in London - and beyond!

Sunday, 8 December 2013

Govian Pursuits: A Game for all the Family

This is too good not to post - but is certainly not my idea!

Credit goes to Patrick Murphy from Leeds NUT, who is, like me, also a LANAC Steering Commitee member:

1. This year Michael Gove claimed that ‘survey after survey’ had shown that English children had a poor knowledge of history. When parent Janet Downs demanded to know which organisations had run these surveys, what was the answer?A. YouGovB. MoriC. UK TV Gold and the Premier Inn2. Which public figure said this: “If staff morale is low, then you know you are doing something right”?A. Vladimir PutinB. Alan SugarC. Head of Ofsted Michael Wilshaw3. In November, a report on the impact of academies on standards was published. Gove and parts of the press claimed it proved that academy status led to higher standards. Which of these statements is a direct quote from the report?A. ‘Academies produce better results.’B. ‘LA-run schools struggle to achieve national expectations’C. ‘No significant improvement is seen in the rate of improvement of GCSE results for academy schools over and above the rate of improvement in all schools.’4. Since the present government came to power in 2010, by how much has the real value of teachers’ pay declined?A. It hasn’t, it has increased.B. 5%C. 15%5. Which of the following have to be provided by Free Schools?A. Suitable school premisesB. Outdoor play spaceC. Library facilitiesD. A school hallE. None of the above

6. In October 2013, Annaliese Briggs, the 27- year-old Head Teacher appointed to the newly opened Pimlico Primary free school in central London, resigned just four weeks after the school opened. How well qualified was she?A. NPQHB. Several years as a deputyC. No school experience at all7. Finland is considered by the OECD to have one of the best education systems in the world with outstanding pupil outcomes. How long is the summer break in Finland?A. Two weeks shorter than the UKB. The same as the UKC. Four weeks longer than the UK8. In 2012, the OECD commissioned research on performance pay. Which of these statements can be found in the report?A. ‘PRP is the secret to high standards.’B. ‘PRP improves teacher morale.’C. ‘The overall picture reveals no relationship between average student performance in a country and the use of performance-based pay schemes.’How did you do?Mostly As: Refreshingly on-message. There is a consultancy job awaiting you at the DfE.Mostly Bs: You are an AmeriCAN not an AmeriCAN’T. Prepare for your future as a Free School Principal.Mostly Cs (with one E): You must be one of those Marxist teachers we read about in the Daily Mail and an enemy of promise. You have clearly been spending too much time looking at the Edufacts section of the NUT website:http://www.teachers.org.uk/ edufacts

Martin Powell-Davies

* Brought up as a socialist by parents who hungered for what is right * One adopted grandfather left me a double-barrelled name, the other his name on a 1926 General Strike black-list * Joined the Labour Party as a teenager, left it when it abandoned the values and traditions of so many who built it in the past * Given a comprehensive education at St.Andrew's, Leatherhead * First-class degree from King's College, Cambridge, for those who like that kind of thing * Secondary science teacher in London 1986-2015 * Lewisham NUT Secretary 1993-2015, organiser of many campaigns to defend teachers and education * Living in Sydenham since 1997, father of four who were all so well-supported by Sedgehill School * Member of the NUT National Executive 2010-15 * NUT London Regional Secretary 2016 - * Proud to have been name-checked by Gove for saying that his 'reforms' could make teaching unbearable * Member of the CWI, following its global struggles via http://www.socialistworld.net * Candidate for TUSC in Lewisham West & Penge, 2015 * Member of Penge CC, often a 'Middle Aged Man In Lycra' on Sundays